Ecology

Greens leader Joe Clay asked what further studies the government needed before it could set the boundary.

Ecological studies, including assessments of threatened flora and fauna, woodland birds, grassland species, hollow-bearing trees and broader ecological values, cultural heritage assessment, detailed land attribute studies, including a topographical survey and a tree survey and assessment, Mr Steele said.

The area, dubbed the Western Edge, is already a non-urban zone, meaning suburbs cannot be built there under the Territory Plan rules.

What we're talking about here is extending protections, particularly to areas of high conservation or environmental value.

These interactions between species are what define ecological communities.

So it makes sense that community ecology studies these interactions anywhere they take place, from a tide pool to the whole ocean, from a rotting log to an entire forest.

But just because interspecies interaction is mostly competitive doesn't necessarily mean that community ecology is all about big bloody tooth and claw scenes like from cable TV nature shows.

Actually, a lot of it is, but we're not going to get there until next week.

For now, let's just note that competition, while prevalent and important, is also pretty dangerous and kind of a hassle and can, like, really hurt.

The population can only get as big as these factors will allow.

Now, a particularly nasty weed could, over time, eliminate the veggies entirely.

Such elimination is known as competitive exclusion, and it's one of the most fundamental properties in community ecology and also, like, life.

Rock him with It's Been a Long Time off of the 18th Letter.

Another Canadian classic, Learn to Earn by Mathematic off of his Ecology album.

Of course, Math's still busy and still making great, great traditional hip hop music.

Make sure you go peep out all the stuff that Math's dropped in the last five, ten years.